21.   At the ranch, Ramon Alonso clutched a copy of a local newspaper story about his brother, Jose Alonso, missing for nearly two years.

22.   Babitsky, whose blistering reports of Russian military excesses from the war-zone infuriated the Kremlin, was missing for six weeks before resurfacing last Friday.

23.   Barring a collapse, the Packers are headed to the playoffs after missing them for two years.

24.   Because of injuries, first baseman and cleanup hitter Eric Karros was missing for a sixth straight game, and shortstop Greg Gagne was out for his second straight.

25.   -- BRIAN LEETCH, the star defenseman, missed practice for the second day with the flu, but is expected to be in the lineup.

26.   -- Reliever Jonathan Johnson missed workouts for the second consecutive day because of a bad back.

27.   A hard-driving parent once commented that if a school event had to be missed for an important meeting, the child would survive just fine.

28.   A mother whose child attends the Berks school but was not on the bus, expressed empathy for the parents whose children had been missing for hours.

29.   ABC needs Madden to reinject the star power that has been missing for many years.

30.   After Anderson missed for the Magic, Cassell fed Mario Elie for a slam.